


I Still Feel the Ghost of Your Handprint on My Heart

by Jeredu



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: M/M, Minor appearances by the rest of the Abyss party, This can be platonic or romantic, has a happy ending, it's entirely up to your preference dear reader, minor appearances by Duke Fabre and Suzanne, minor appearances by York and Urushi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 14:50:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13766457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeredu/pseuds/Jeredu
Summary: Eldrant, parting, and the silence that followed. Time heals all wounds.





	I Still Feel the Ghost of Your Handprint on My Heart

There are a few moments that Ginji feels he will always remember with perfect, terrible clarity, no matter how long he lives. The alarm and surge of adrenaline as that first flight test went wrong and he plummeted into the canyon with the realization that he was probably going to die. The devastation he felt upon learning of the massacre at Sheridan. The dread and pain and panic, clear despite his concussion, as he realized Asch was going into Eldrant alone, leaving Ginji in the wreckage watching helplessly as he walked away. The agony and grief of seeing the group return one member short, and his realization that both red headed boys had walked into that place never to return.

Ginji doesn't want to forget. Each memory was a lesson, a reminder, especially the last.

\---oOo---

Ginji had been dimly aware of someone calling his name in the confusing aftermath of the impact. The cabin of the Albiore was a wreck; the impact had shattered a good portion of the canopy, judging by the crunch of broken glass accompanying the urgent footsteps he could hear. Belatedly, Ginji realized he should try to open his eyes. Something wet was trickling down his forehead, and everything was too bright and out of focus, pulsing with the tempo of the throbbing in his head. Still, he recognized the approaching figure as Asch.

Asch had been the one calling his name. _I’m fine_ , Ginji meant to say, but what came out was, “Are you hurt?”

Asch grumbled something about worrying about his own hide. Ginji grasped for his shoulder and pulled him close enough to whisper, “Please take care. I’ll… be waiting here.”

Ginji wanted to say something else, but this wasn't the time or place for it. Asch’s reply had been a solemn nod, and then he was gone.

That was the last time Ginji had ever seen him.

* * *

 

It had been a while before Ginji could summon the strength to free himself from the wreckage. The twisted metal frame had protected them, for the most part. The sensitive instruments and electronics were offline; there was no chance of contacting Noelle, but he felt certain that his sister would show up. It was only a matter of time before she arrived with the other group in tow.

Ginji’s arms had both fared well enough in the impact, but there was a stabbing pain which flared from his leg and hip the moment he tried to move them. He wasn't sure if the leg was broken, but better him than Asch, either way. Carefully, Ginji fumbled for purchase against the warped frame and disarrayed seating. By the time he managed to drag himself out of the wreckage, limping and bleeding from minor shrapnel wounds, he could see the familiar, _intact_ silhouette of the other Albiore.

Noelle had immediately rushed to his side; he could see the open concern on all of their faces, but there were more important things to worry about…! He would live. He would heal on his own, and there was someone else who needed their help more.

_Please help Asch_ , Ginji had begged after conveying everything important about what had transpired. Luke’s face, kind and lacking the hard edged wariness, was so different despite being a perfect mirror of Asch. Yet the determination in those green eyes was achingly similar, and Ginji found himself wishing fervently, believing Luke’s promise that they would all return home together.

The group left him in order to face the monumental task at hand, and Ginji didn't protest when Noelle tried to ease him down onto the ground. She had been anxious, frightened by the bloodstains and his dazed mumbling. But he wasn't incoherent - it wasn't weakness or blood loss keeping him from speaking above a whisper, but the weight of the words themselves. It was the thought that speaking his fears aloud might somehow make them come true.

Noelle sat with Ginji’s head in her lap, carefully cleaning the gash on his forehead. There was a medical kit in the Albiore, and tending to her brother’s injuries, Ginji realized, was a good distraction from the very same fears she likely felt. The waiting was the worst part; not knowing was an agony greater than anything the crash had done to him.

Noelle was no medical expert, but she was fairly certain that Ginji’s leg had sustained some kind of fracture. She’d started to offer to fly him to the nearest town, sounding hesitant before Ginji cut her off.

“No, no, we can't take the chance. I'd never… never forgive myself if Asch - any of them - came back here needing your help and found you gone,” Ginji whispered fiercely. “I'll live. They might… be in much worse shape when they get back.”

_When_ , not if. He refused to dwell on ‘if.’

* * *

In the end, only five had returned. It felt like the world was ending, for all that Luke’s group had been victorious. Eldrant was crumbling to pieces around them, and neither Luke nor Asch would be coming back. Eldrant had become the grave of so many people. Ginji, laid out in the back of the Albiore like an invalid, barely heard Guy mention a promise to return.

Asch had died alone and fighting an army, Ginji learned, and the pillar of golden light receding behind them had been Luke’s final act of heroism. Lorelei was _free_ , the Score meant nothing, and all Ginji could think was, _He doesn't even get to live to see this free world he fought for._

Ginji managed to hold the tears back until he and Noelle were alone, having fulfilled the task of delivering the returning heroes. In the stifled sobs against her shoulder, Noelle learned the sound of her brother’s heart breaking.

“You loved him,” she whispered, realization dawning. It wasn't a question, but Ginji’s hands curled tighter against her back in response, all the same. “I’m sorry.”

* * *

The days following Eldrant had been a painful blur for Ginji; his injuries had needed skilled medical treatment, to set the broken leg and extract shards of safety glass. Eventually, he knew there were plans to fly out to the wreckage of his Albiore and salvage anything marginally intact. Even if he’d been healed by then, Ginji wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to accompany the salvage team; that place held painful memories.

Several days later, he was visited by Noir, of all people. Apparently word traveled fast; he should have expected that she, of all people, would have been staying on top of it.

“We heard you got pretty banged up, there, kid. Do you think you’ll be able to fly again?” She asked, in a rare show of outward concern. “It’d be a shame if it clipped your wings, sky-boy.”

Ginji assured her that his injuries had been relatively minor. She filled him in on the recovery efforts and talk of making use of the floating Feres replica, if it had survived this mess. Eldrant’s impact likely had caused some serious tidal waves.

Neither of them mentioned Asch. She already knew, judging by the uncharacteristic softness in the parting look she gave him.

* * *

The process of rebuilding the Albiore III was time consuming, but Ginji welcomed the distraction. If he stayed idle too long, it gave him time to _think_. Everything still felt so raw, and it wasn’t just Asch. Noelle had been hopeful; Luke’s friends relayed that the boy had made a promise to return. But Ginji knew without asking what all of them refused to admit- it was a promise they were afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep.

Ginji had asked the Colonel if he really believed Luke [Asch, he couldn’t bring himself to ask] _could_ return. But he’d gotten a cryptic smile and a “We’ll just have to wait and see,” in response. He couldn’t tell if Colonel Curtiss himself was unsure, or if he knew something more and hadn’t the heart to tell them.

The day came that the Albiore III was finally, at long last, rebuilt. Ginji took one look at it, painted red and black as it had always been, and needed to sit down. He hadn’t expected _that_ to hurt as much as it did, but it reminded him so much of-

Noelle looked back and forth between the aircraft and Ginji, eyes widening as she realized -

“I’m sorry. I didn’t even think to tell them-” she started, looking as lost as he felt. “It could be repainted to match mine-”

Ginji cut her off with a shake of his head.

“No,” he whispered, and she thankfully didn’t comment on the hoarse edge of his tone. “No, leave it. Please.”

* * *

The Albiore felt empty, now, when Ginji flew alone. So, he went out of his way to make himself available to, not just officials in need of urgent aerial transport, but to friends as well. Generally a lot of people were wary enough of flight that even Ginji’s official business left him with more free time than he liked. He eventually ended up flying out to Nam Cobanda with a load of supplies, glad to see at least one place almost unanimously happy to be free of the Score. After all, it had condemned them all to die with Hod.

That lifted Ginji’s spirits more than anything he’d seen since Eldrant. He returned feeling lighter, listened to Noelle talk about the recent trips where she’d stopped to check in with Tear, and then Guy. He asked about the Fabres.

They’d built a memorial for Luke; a grave with no body. He didn’t ask if they’d done the same for Asch; he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer. He wasn’t sure which answer he’d rather _hear_.

Ginji decided he should pay them a visit.

* * *

Ginji had never met Asch’s parents, and he wasn’t sure how well he’d be received. The Duke was every bit as imperious and sharp edged as Asch had been, but the Lady Suzanne radiated that same kindness he’d seen in fleeting moments. They asked him why he’d come; he explained that he’d been Asch’s private pilot, and while he doesn’t have much to offer, he thought that he could at least tell them a little about what their other son had been doing in the last year of his life.

It had been difficult, at first, to finally talk about him after Ginji had gone so long avoiding the subject, but the words gradually came easier. He didn’t have details about Asch’s life with the Oracle Knights, and the Fabres knew the broad strokes of Asch’s deeds, but they missed the little things - Asch’s remarkable gift for cooking, the way he spoke among people he marginally trusted, the way he was rational and tactical when calm but prone to hot headedness when flustered. The very rare times he'd seen Asch smile.

The way Asch had come to check on him before he left, despite the urgency. He'd never stopped caring about _people_ , but he'd been taught to ignore and suppress those inclinations when they conflicted with his duties.

Ginji’s eyes were damp by the time they were done, but he wasn't alone. He still hadn't been expecting the Lady Suzanne to stand up and pull him into a brief hug.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “You are welcome to visit anytime.”

Perhaps, Ginji realized, this was something they'd _both_ needed. He left feeling somber but more at peace.

* * *

At some point, Ginji began meeting up periodically with Noir - it hadn't been intentional, at first. He'd made a stop in Chesedonia and was sitting in the bar with lunch when she walked in. Clearly, she hadn't been actually looking for him, since she seemed mildly curious underneath the usual smirk when she sauntered over. Ginji was pleasantly surprised, but it wasn't that unusual for Noir to be just about anywhere that people congregated. It was a good place to gather information, after all.

“Fancy seeing you here, kiddo,” she said by way of greeting, even though Ginji had to be old enough to _drink_ to actually get a table in this place. But he'd gotten used to her manner of speaking and took the nickname for the endearing term it was.

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Ginji replied, gesturing for her to join him. Some of the patrons stared a bit before returning to their own business, but Noir was likely used to that kind of attention. Ginji never looked at her that way, and he'd half suspected that was why she'd taken his offer to help so seriously back then.

Asch, too, had always taken her seriously. That was part of why she'd respected him.

“I've been keeping pretty busy,” Ginji admitted. There was still so much to do, between the restoration efforts at St. Binah, the replica welfare projects, and the meetings and conferences to work out joint efforts under the new peace accords. With the reluctant assistance of ex-God-General Saphir Ortion Gneiss (formerly Dist the Reaper) and the surviving engineers in Sheridan, he and Noelle had even installed functional long distance communicators which utilized a small amount of Seventh Fonons to transmit sound both ways. Similar devices had been installed in Sheridan and Grand Chokmah - thankfully, they were still functional despite the gradual decline of fonons in the atmosphere. The folks at Sheridan were working on developing an alternative that didn’t rely on fonons, but it hadn’t been completed. Ginji gave her the short version of the explanation and offered to have a communicator installed in Nam Cobanda’s monitoring room.

“It's so remote; I don't mind delivering messages, supplies, or even people if you need a lift…”

Noir’s eyebrows had risen so high they disappeared behind her bangs. She gave him a considering look before answering.

“I don't know why you'd go to all that trouble, hun,” she replied. “Not that I wouldn't appreciate it, but what’s in it for you?”

Ginji shrugged, a little sheepish. “Really, I don't mind. I’d like to stay in touch, but you're all just as busy as I am. I know we don't have any real need to keep associating, but…” he hesitated, wondering if he sounded foolish. “Well, I guess I've started thinking of you all as comrades. And after losing so many people I cared about, I want to stay close to the friends I do have. ...I’m tired of saying _goodbye_ ,” he finished softly.

Noir was giving him a thoughtful look when he finally found the courage to meet her eyes again. He knew she wasn't the type to be moved by overly sentimental words, but she seemed to approve of his reasons.

“Well, with the Score out of the picture, I guess it'd be safe enough,” she mused. “I think I’ll take you up on that, sky boy. For _honest_ work, of course.”

Ginji smiled. “Of course.”

After that, Ginji had contacted Noelle, who got in touch with Guy to see if the fontech enthusiast would be willing to help. Guy was one of the few other people Ginji knew to be both tech-savvy and welcome in the concealed hideout. It was an odd thought, but if things had turned out a little differently, Guy might very well have been picked up by this same group in their mission to rescue and hide away Hod survivors before the Order could hunt them down. But that danger had passed with the dissolution of the Score.

Installing and calibrating the device had been simple enough; this was the fifth time they’d been through the process. Soon, Ginji began to periodically receive calls from Noir, Urushi, and York with job requests, or even just information. Likewise, he relayed any new developments they might find relevant to their cause.

Occasionally, if the trio were in the area and had seen the Albiore III land on the outskirts of whichever town he was visiting, Ginji would walk into the inn or bar to find them waiting inside. Or, he would sometimes stop for lunch, to be joined by any or all of them shortly afterward.

It was was nice. It was heartening.

It wasn’t the same without _him_.

  
Ginji couldn’t recall who started it, but at some point, these little gatherings sometimes became an occasion to talk about Asch. It was cathartic, in a way. Asch had touched and changed all of their lives, by involving them in his effort to avert the end of the world and stop Van’s plans. None of them regretted having been a part of it, but Ginji hadn’t been the only one in need of closure. Asch had done right by them, Ginji realized, in a world that hadn’t done right by _him_ once in his entire life. Shared like this, the words weren’t so painful, no longer fresh and raw. Perhaps they had all begun to heal.

* * *

Before long, it had been exactly one year since the end of Yulia’s Score. One year since end of Luke’s journey. One year since Asch’s death.

Ginji hadn’t really dared to even hope, but he still flew to survey the somber skeleton of Eldrant and found it unchanged but for a little weathering. Gently, he reached up to trace the thin line of scar tissue on his forehead.

* * *

Luke’s birthday came and went. Noelle had asked Ginji to join the group of friends who had traveled with her.

He declined, knowing it was selfish, and flew to Nam Cobanda instead.

Quietly, the four of them raised their glasses to the name of their missing fifth.

* * *

With so many other tasks to prioritize, Ginji had nearly forgotten about the floating replica of Feres until Noir brought it up in a call. Its remote location and abandoned state had put it low on everyone’s priority lists, apparently. But Noir asked if Ginji would be willing to fly her there, to _see_ it with her own eyes. Ginji wasn’t sure if there was anything constructive to be done with the crumbling ruin, but he agreed without hesitation. If nothing else, it might provide some closure for Noir, York, and Urushi. After all, the original Feres had once been their home.

So with all three Dark Wings in tow, Ginji set out for the artificial island. It wasn’t hard to find now that it had stopped moving, and the round trip would have been over before the day’s end if not for the intense storm. The flight out had been uneventful, but Ginji reluctantly realized they’d need to stay grounded until the thunderstorm quieted. His Albiore’s flightstone hadn’t received the same upgrades as Noelle’s, and there would be nobody to rescue them out here if something went wrong.

So they waited. York and Urushi had moved to the back of the cabin with a deck of cards; Noir sat in the copilot’s seat at the front. Ginji got up to check the hatches and do a quick, routine inspection. Noir finally spoke up when Ginji returned to the pilot’s seat with a sigh.

  
“Have you been limping like that this whole time, kid?” She asked with a quizzically arched eyebrow. He couldn’t blame her for being skeptical; someone like Noir surely would’ve noticed a tell like a chronic limp long ago.

“No, it just tends to ache whenever a big storm like this blows in,” Ginji explained with a dismissive shake of his head. “It’s the leg I broke in that crash landing. I wasn’t able to treat it right away, so now I get to complain about it like an old man,” he added with a quiet laugh.

Noir relaxed considerably after that confirmation, though Ginji couldn’t help but notice something pensive in her expression whenever the lightning lit her up.

  
“Is it like you remember?” Ginji finally asked.

Noir leaned forward over the instrument panel with a sigh. “A little. If I had to describe it…” She hesitated.

Ginji waited patiently; he knew she didn’t often speak openly like this. He certainly would keep this to himself.

“It feels like coming across the corpse of an old friend after going years without seeing them,” she finally settled upon. “The shape is familiar, but everything that _matters_ has long since rotted away. I’m glad you brought us out here, but now that we’ve finally had one last look, I don’t see myself wanting to come back again,” she concluded firmly.

It had been much-needed closure, and well worth the trip, though. That had been reason enough to come.

  
“Do the storms bother you, with all the flying you do?” Noir had turned to look at him in a sidelong glance.

“Not at all,” Ginji answered, though he certainly had a healthy respect for the obstacle they created. “I just avoid them as a safety measure. No need to take unnecessary risks.”

Noir seemed content to sit in silence, but Ginji found himself wanting to fill it.

  
“Honestly, stuff like this pales in comparison to my first test flight, anyway. One of the worst moments of my life,” Ginji added with a laugh.

“What happened?” Noir apparently hadn’t heard that story, so Ginji elaborated.

“Something went wrong, and the winds around Sheridan can be especially tricky near the canyons. I crashed, and I absolutely would’ve died if Luke and the Colonel and everyone hadn’t come to my rescue,” Ginji explained, a bit sheepish at the look Noir was now giving him. “Noelle hasn’t crashed once, but it’s not like I make a habit of it…”

Ginji trailed off, suddenly subdued. He hadn’t meant to bring it up, but…

“In hindsight, though, the crash landing at Eldrant was far worse.”

Noir was frowning slightly and looked like she wanted to object, but all she said was, “And how is that? Because of your injuries?”

Ginji shook his head slowly; his chest and throat suddenly felt tight, and he fumbled for the right words. It was something he’d been bottling up for the past year, but the thought had been hard to shake. Putting it into words felt inadequate, somehow.

After a long moment, Ginji simply said, “...I lived. He didn’t.”

  

Noir hadn’t connected those two events, apparently, because it took a moment for her to cover up that initial flash of shock and dismay. Her tone was softer than usual when she finally responded.

“Ginji, honey, you _know_ that’s not your fault.”

He nodded, reaching up to tap his temple. “I do, up here,” he murmured, then lowered the hand to spread it against his chest. “ _This_ just… forgets, sometimes. We all did everything we could. We _won_. It just would’ve been nice for him to get to see it.”

Noir straightened back up; the sky above had cleared enough for Ginji to see the stars. The wind was no longer rocking the craft like a leaf.

“Do you need a moment?” She asked, but Ginji shook his head firmly. Somehow, knowing at least one other person knew the guilty thoughts weighing on his conscience left him feeling lighter.

“Let’s head back.”

* * *

The next year seemed to pass much more quickly than the first. Ginji realized that he’d somehow settled into a routine, a life, that left him feeling satisfied at the end of each day. On some level, he was _happy._ Gradually, he began to make the effort to reach out and get to know all of Luke’s former traveling companions, too. Noelle considered all of them to be good friends, and in bits and pieces, Ginji began to learn the story of the other Fabre boy and his companions.

St. Binah has been mostly rebuilt, war torn countries and families had begun getting on with their lives, and the ruin of Eldrant continued to crumble. This second year, when Luke’s birthday came around, Ginji joined Noelle and the others, with the Dark Wings in tow.

Ten glasses were raised to toast both Fabre boys.

* * *

The second year passed seamlessly into the third, and Ginji wondered when he’d begun marking the chapters of his life by the anniversary of that day. At least he could take comfort in knowing that he was far from the only one. Yulia City being accessible by sea and sky alone meant that he was often asked to help with transportation whenever it involved official business; and as such, he’d gotten several opportunities to talk with Tear. The quiet and serious Oracle Knight, shy at first, gradually felt comfortable enough to talk about the journey. Ginji realized he was not alone; Tear had parted with three people very dear to her on the empty replica of Hod. Luke’s journey had left all of them with painful memories and holes in their hearts.

Perhaps it was out of a sense of solidarity, but Ginji realized, at some point, that he no longer felt like such a stranger around them.

* * *

The next time Ginji found himself in the area of Baticul, word apparently got around quickly enough that he’d barely finished signing off on a delivery when a messenger arrived, with a message from the Lady Suzanne inviting him to drop by and perhaps join her for tea. He accepted, and soon enough, they were joined by the princess. Natalia, too, had wanted to hear about all the missing moments, and Ginji hadn’t the heart to refuse. Words that had once been painful felt more bittersweet than anything. She also had loved him. Asch might have looked at these two and seen a life which no longer belonged to him; Ginji merely saw a broken family waiting to welcome him home as eagerly as they would have welcomed Luke.

* * *

Daath had been undergoing significant reforms, but despite the upheaval of doing away with the Score, Ginji’s visits there always left him with an impression of commitment and progress. He’d barely seen Anise, who was often too busy to visit, but she hadn’t lost any of her determination to become Fon Master. If anything, the most worrisome news to do with Daath were the occasional attention-seekers and rabble-rousers who sometimes popped up claiming to be one of the former God-Generals, as well as the infrequent false Scorers.

When Ginji heard that the last remaining God-General wouldn't be reinstated even after parole, he was glad. They had all been Van’s followers, for the most part, anyway.

* * *

Perhaps it was long overdue, but Ginji's involvement with the research on developing alternative energy sources meant that he and Guy ended up working side by side with increasing frequency. Guy was easy to talk to, and frequent conversations and like interests swiftly developed into a new but surprisingly solid friendship. The passage of time, they found, had healed the aching voids in their respective lives enough to talk about them, too. Ginji hadn't been able to help but ask - after the young man who had taken a significant piece of Ginji's heart with him to his grave; after the young man who had inspired such loyalty and been Guy's closest friend. 

Guy's feelings about Asch were easily the most complicated, out of all of Luke's former traveling companions. Ginji wanted to paint a more complete picture of Asch, and Guy's story was long, heartfelt, and painfully honest. Beneath the guilt and regret had been an honest desire to start over, set things right, and get to know the boy he'd wrongfully built as a scapegoat for his own pain and vengeance. 

"If there was one thing I had the power to do differently, that is what I regret most," Guy had whispered. "But it's too late. I won't ever have the chance to make it up to him." 

And then the conversation turned to Luke, initially a target of Guy's resentment, yet also the catalyst for Guy's own growth and change. That such hatred could turn to such deep and enduring trust and loyalty, even now Guy still believed Luke's promise to return. The alternative was too terrible to contemplate.

Ginji left, aching with the realization that Asch hadn't even known.

* * *

The days seemed to bleed together, and the year spun faster than Ginji felt it should. The anniversary coming up would be different from the last; Luke’s Coming of Age ceremony was to be held at the Fabre manor. Ginji had been invited, and the whole affair felt… off, somehow. But it was good to share memories.

Still, he quietly bowed out when Natalia and Noelle departed for a different, more intimate gathering of close friends.

Even if the silhouette of Eldrant no longer filled him with bitterness, Ginji didn’t feel right joining the small group in Tataroo Valley. The only time he or Asch had been there was to visit its Sephiroth. It didn’t hold the same meaning.

Tataroo Valley was _Luke’s_ place.

Ginji didn’t feel like returning home, that night. He had enough travel provisions, so he flew out of Baticul, landed on a cliff overlooking the sea. He could still see Eldrant from there, along with the moon.

He spent the night watching from within the Albiore, the closest thing to a _place_ he could associate with the other Fabre heir.

\---oOo---

The sun rises warm and soft, but it is the crackle of Noelle’s voice from the comm that wakes Ginji. And so he learns that at least one son would be returning home to the Lady Suzanne. He’s _happy_ , well and truly, but the feeling is colored with guilt over the little lump of disappointment that seems to stick in his throat.

_Why couldn’t it have been both of them?_

He doesn’t say it, but Noelle’s tone is kind and understanding all the same. He thanks her, and once the comm falls silent, he conveys the good news to Nam Cobanda, asking them not to spread the word until an official announcement is made.

* * *

The sun is beginning to just sink towards the horizon when Ginji hears the Albiore’s comm crackle to life again. The voice is _hauntingly_ familiar, but the inflection is different - warmer and softer. For a moment, Ginji wonders if he is dreaming.

“Ginji?” The voice asks, and his throat is too dry to answer. “Please, Ginji, if you’re in there…”

Ginji blinks, finally finds his voice, and asks, “...Luke?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m surprised you recog- actually, I shouldn’t be surprised at all, huh?” The voice has taken on a wistful quality.

Ginji laughs. “You aren’t him, but you’re pretty unforgettable. How did you contact me?”

In short, the answer seems to be _Lorelei_. Ginji doesn’t quite understand the details, but whoever came back seems to be a little _more_ than just Luke.

“...So, Noelle said it uses Seventh Fonons; I thought it was worth a try. But listen, Ginji, I need to ask a favor.”

Ginji goes very still, not even daring to hope.

“A certain someone took his sweet time coming back because he needed longer to heal. He could really use a lift and a friendly face right now,” Luke whispers, and Ginji is fairly sure his heart skips a beat.

“Where?” Is all Ginji asks, already powering up the hover drive and readying for takeoff.

“The place where it all began,” Luke starts cryptically, but after a pause, “...Choral Castle. Do you know where that is?”

Ginji does. He lifts off immediately.

* * *

The sunset over the sea is breathtaking, but Ginji doesn’t spare it a second glance. As soon as he finds a suitable clearing, he lands, armed with a knife and hoping the monsters had vacated after Luke’s group cleaned the place out years ago. Ginji and Luke both knew that Asch wouldn’t ask for help even if he needed it, so Ginji isn’t _listening_ for a voice and almost doesn’t hear it.

“..ji. _Ginji_!”

He turns, just in time to see a monster leap towards his back. He tries to fling himself out of the way, and in the resulting scuffle, he ends up on the ground, looking up.

And there Asch stands, hair loose and sword bloody, offering him a hand up.

“That idiot said you’d be coming; I hoped you’d at least have the sense to arm yourse-”

The reprimand is cut short, because Ginji’s arms are around his shoulders squeezing tight enough to make his bones creak. The greater miracle, perhaps, is that Asch _lets_ Ginji hug him. Eventually, Ginji disentangles himself and takes a step back, and Asch doesn’t comment on the dampness of his eyes.

“Here I am trying to help you,” Ginji breathes, “and _you_ end up rescuing _me_.” He scrubs the tears away quickly. “Sorry, I’m just a little overwhelmed.”

Asch looks like he might reply with a sharp remark, but what comes out is, “...Thank you, Ginji.”

Ginji smiles so hard it almost hurts. “I said I’d wait for you, didn’t I? You just... took a little longer than we anticipated.”

Asch seems to be forming the beginnings of a smile, finally. “Yeah.”

“Welcome back.”

\---oOo---

 


End file.
